The invention relates to mixing apparatus in general, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus wherein a vessel is employed to receive a charge of flowable solid and/or liquid material which is thereupon kneaded, stirred, mixed or similarly treated by one or more agitating devices, for example, in a manner as disclosed in commonly owned copending German patent application Serial No. P 39 21 143.6.
Swiss Pat. No. 349477 to Hafliger discloses a charge mixer wherein a fixed vessel has an open top for admission of a charge and carries the horizontal shaft of a rotary agitating device. The bottom wall of the vessel has a concavo-convex shape and includes a pivotable gate which can expose an outlet for treated charges. The gate is pivotable by a pneumatically operated cylinder and piston unit.
German Auslegeschrift No. 25 38 768 of Brandau discloses a mixing vessel with a concavo-convex bottom wall and a cylindrical sidewall having an outlet close to the bottom wall. The outlet can be sealed by a plug which is reciprocable by a fluid-operated cylinder and piston unit. The plug carries a specially mounted sealing element which prevents leakage of the contents of the vessel while the plug is maintained in the operative position, i.e., within the outlet.
Published German patent application No. 37 11 987 of Rosendahl et al. discloses a horizontal cylindrical mixing vessel cooperating with a horizontal rotary agitator and having two mirror symmetrical outlets in the lower part of its wall. Each outlet can be sealed by a discrete pivotable gate to discharge the contents of the vessel into one of two discrete ducts beneath the vessel. The upper portion of the vessel has an inlet for charges of material to be treated by the agitating device. The material is pulverulent or granular building material. The gates are pivotable by hydraulic motors, and the vessel further carries two motor-driven rotary stirring elements.
A gravity operated apparatus for intimately mixing the ingredients of chemical, pharmaceutical and/or other products is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,242 to Bohle. The patented apparatus employs an upright vessel with an open top which can be sealed by a cover carrying one or more mixing elements extending into the vessel and serving to contribute to the mixing and/or agglomerating action upon the charge in the vessel while the vessel moves up and down and is oscillated or rotated about a horizontal axis. The vessel further serves to transfer freshly treated charges to the next processing station or stations.
Applicant is further aware of the disclosures in British Pat. No. 1,195,905 to Mukai, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,878 to Pommier et al., in published German patent application No. 35 19 647 to Roder et al., in French Pat. No. 1.142.820 to Rayneri, and in German Auslegeschrift No. 1 557 042 of Wisseroth et al.